Huntington Beach Real Estate

Huntington Beach is one of Orange Counties' most diverse cities in terms of demographics, areas and amenities. With just over 193,000 residents packed into 31 square miles, the city is considered to represent somewhat of a "gateway" between uber fashionable Newport Beach to the south and potentially Orange Counties' most laid-back city, Seal Beach, to the North.

With Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and Westminster all adjacent to the East, Huntington Beach has a number of different neighborhoods that appeal to a number of different lifestyles. One of the starkest things people realize when they visit Huntington Beach versus many other coastal orange county communities is that it represents one of the most "laid-back" atmospheres in all of Orange County.

It should be noted that there really is a large range of diversity, spanning from multi-million dollar ocean front homes to starter inland condos.

Huntington Beach Homes

Huntington Beach is often referred to as "Surf City", with several surfing competitions held every year, including the US Open of Surfing, the largest surfing competition in the world. As such, the city does have a strong laid-back surfing vibe and living in the city means a high likelihood that many of your neighbors' social lives will revolve around beach-going activities.

There are some truly magnificent homes near the Huntington Harbor area, with prices in accordance the opulence of both the views and the atmosphere - but plenty of Huntington Beach Neighborhoods boast some of the lowest priced real estate of any Coastal OC city. In terms of costs, you can find small starter condos in the city all the way down to in the high $200,000's, oceanfront enclaves ranging from $3 to $5 million, and everything in between. The "average" home listed in Huntington Beach in late 2014 would represent a 1,500 to 2,000 square foot home with 3 to 4 bedrooms for about $700,000.

On the pricing scale, Huntington beach is pretty "average" when compared to Orange County real estate overall - not the cheapest, but also most certainly nowhere near the most expensive areas of the county. With all of this, the age of the city skews younger and is less "family oriented" than much of Orange County. Here are the numbers:

Median age: 40.1

Median Household Income: $80,020

28.3% of Households have children (vs. 37.6% in Orange County)

Those 28.3% of households with children, however, can rest easy knowing that some of the better schools in California are in Huntington Beach, with an overall Great Schools City Rating of 8 out of 10 and many of the city's schools ranking a 10 out of 10.

With the younger, less established population, the crime rate in Huntington Beach is a little higher than some other coastal communities in the area, but crime rates in the city are still considerably lower than in California as a whole.

Huntington Beach Pros and Cons

Whether Huntington Beach is right for you depends greatly on what you're looking for. Huntington Beach represents both the lowest priced and youngest in terms of median age of all Orange County cities - whether that's good or bad depends greatly on your perspective.

Some folks who are new to the area comment that the area is more "down to earth" and provides a pleasant change from the aura of some of the "Stepford Wives" communities that can be found in some areas of South Orange County.

On the other end of the spectrum, some transplants that move to the area comment that the younger population and lower price points than some other coastal Orange County areas leads to more of a party atmosphere. (Downtown has sometimes been likened to "a college town without a college"). With that being said, in general, younger couples and those without children are sometimes more likely to find Huntington Beach to be the right "fit", but it depends mightily on which portion of the city you are considering. As a general rule, the closer you get to downtown, the younger and more "party-oriented" the population tends to get. As you move further east and toward the freeway, prices fall and the areas become a little older and more family-oriented.

Activities in Huntington Beach

With 10 miles of uninterrupted coastline, there is no shortage of water-based activities in the city, including surfing, boating, fishing at the Huntington Beach Pier, hiking through the Bolsa Chica wetlands, and even the international surfing museum.

With the city being quite a bit more laid-back than other coastal cities, there are considerably few fine-dining options, though expensive fare can be found just a short drive to the south in Newport Beach. Dining in Huntington Beach skews heavily towards casual fare.

There are several farmers markets held weekly throughout the city along with ample other shopping opportunities. City residents are also a short drive from any of the city's major shopping centers such as South Coast Plaza, the Orange Outlets, or Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Who is best suited to buy Huntington Beach home for sale?

Huntington Beach appeals to many homebuyers for a variety of reasons.

If you're looking for the most reasonably priced beach-close real estate, Huntington Beach should probably be the first city on your list of potentials.

Many professionals that work in South Los Angeles County but would prefer to live in Orange County find Huntington Beach to be the perfect blend of distance between beach, work and traffic.

Huntington Beach is also a fantastic choice if you fancy yourself a "beach bum" but prefer a more downscale vibe than what is found in Laguna or Newport Beach.

If any of these describe you, Huntington Beach may just be your first choice.

Based on information from California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. as of February 21st, 2018 at 8:33pm PST. This information is for your personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties you may be interested in purchasing. Display of MLS data is usually deemed reliable but is NOT guaranteed accurate by the MLS. Buyers are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information and should investigate the data themselves or retain appropriate professionals. Information from sources other than the Listing Agent may have been included in the MLS data. Unless otherwise specified in writing, Broker/Agent has not and will not verify any information obtained from other sources. The Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.

Client Testimonials

★★★★★May 7, 2012

Mr. David Feldberg is an absolute professional and delivered for me when he managed the locating and eventual purchasing of my first home. He was extremely helpful and always available to answer my numerous questions about the real estate process. When the deal came down to the wire in my situation, David went above and beyond to make sure my concerns were both acknowledged and properly addressed. David is a man of his word and sees his commitments through. I highly recommend enlisting David Feldberg in your next real estate transaction. Charlie P